"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle

I remember shortly after graduating from high school attending a presentation by a motivational speaker of sorts, Stephen R. Covey. After about the 3rd geometrical shape that was to transform me into a highly effective person . . . my brain was going to explode.

Setting and achieving goals does not need to be complicated. Nor does it require a Doctorate in upside down shapes. As we prepare to set a new year of goals, here are a few goal setting tips:

1. Choose a task that perhaps you are already doing but not often or efficient enough. Make the goal to increase the frequency and | or efficiency of the task.

2. Choose something important to you. Don’t choose a goal because everyone else has set that particular goal, it needs to be important to you otherwise it could be difficult to be motivated to put forth the effort.

3. Don’t forget to stretch. Stretching is as important to goal setting as it is to a pre-game warm up. If it doesn’t stretch you, you’re wimping out -- pick another goal.

4. Write your goal down where you’ll see it regularly.

5. Track your progress. A goal isn’t a goal unless it can be measured. Review and track your milestones along the way.